History of Torre del Mar

Many people don’t know this but, strictly speaking, Torre del Mar is not a town - at least not yet. It is part of the municipality of Velez-Malaga. And because of this, its history is practically interwoven with that of the latter.

Like in many parts of Malaga, this area was once the site of Phoenician and Roman settlements. The first settlers arrived in 800 BC, growing rapidly through the years. A large archaeological find that included smelting ovens, metal slags, burial sites, and even a fortress nearby provided enough proof that there was a bustling community here many centuries ago.

All of this makes sense because the coast of Torre del Mar is a natural port.

When the Moors came during the 10th century, they made Torre del Mar the coastal defense of their main fortress in Velez-Malaga. And In the 13th to 14th century, the place prospered even more. The walled-city in Velez-Malaga evolved into one of the key medinas in the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.

It was during this time that the communities of Benajarafe, Benamocarra, Almayate, and others were founded.

After ruling the region for many centuries, the Moors were finally driven out by the Catholic Monarchs. The latter devoted much of their time replacing all Moorish architecture with Christian buildings. This lasted for two long centuries - the 16th and 17th.

In the 18th century, the coast of Torre del Mar witnessed the biggest naval battle in the War of the Spanish Succession. Although it ended without a clear winner, the sheer number of vessels used by both the French-Spanish fleets and English-Dutch fleets made it one of the most memorable navy battles of all time.

In the second half of the 20th century, tourists began to notice the beautiful beaches of Torre del Mar. It was then that this community started to enjoy a boom in the tourism industry, with the mushroom of hotels, pubs, bars, restaurants, supermarkets, and even a sprawling shopping mall.

The later part of Torre del Mar history is a story of rapid economic prosperity - much like in the earliest years of its existence,

We use our own cookies and third-party ones not necessary for navigation, but for analytical purposes, social plugins installation and affiliate. If you continue to browse, consider accepting its use. More information.